'My teen son died suddenly after taking Tramadol on night out - I want to warn others'

Kim Webster's son Will was just 17 years old when he was offered the prescription drug tramadol while on a night out with friends in Kent and experienced a reaction that ended up killing him

A mum is warning others about the dangers of experimental drug-taking after the sudden death of her teenage son.

Kim Webster has been travelling to schools across Kent to tell the heartbreaking story of her sons death- in hopes it will discourage others from taking drugs. Her 17-year-old son, Will Horley, died in 2018 after he suffered a fatal reaction to the drug Tramadol on a night out, plunging his family into despair and grief.

She said: "He was not a 'druggie', but one night he went out with a friend and after a few drinks they were offered Tramadol as a recreational high. His friend survived but tragically Will had a reaction and died. It goes to show that drug experimentation can be literally like the flip of a coin; heads you're OK, tails you're not. Will had a bright future in front of him in the Army but it was gone in an instant."

Mrs Webster, from Herne Bay, now dedicates herself to driving home her message through the Kenward Trust, where she works as a youth education executive for its Think Differently programme.

She has visited dozens of secondary schools and colleges across Kent to tell her story, speaking to more than 55,000 young people, some of whom have been left in tears. Her first visit before she joined the trust was to Will's old school, Herne Bay High, which proved both emotional and challenging.

But afterwards, when two pupils told her how it had impacted them, it inspired her to continue.
It was soon after that the Kenward Trust, a charity to support those impacted by drug or alcohol addiction and homelessness, asked if she would like to join them.

She began volunteering in 2019 and became a youth education executive in 2022, working two days a week. She said: "I'm just a mum telling my story and hoping to get a message across. I don't lecture them because they have to make their own choices. But I let them know what the tragic consequences can be for them and their families. Will made a fatal error of judgement which we have to live with and so have many others."

Mrs Webster is convinced her frank conversations have actually saved lives. She added: "It inspires me to keep doing it."

Now, the Kenward Trust is staging a youth charity ball in memory of former Canterbury College student Will. Called the Kenward Will Change Lives Ball, it is being held at the Mecure Hotel in Maidstone on March 15 next year, but tickets have just gone on sale.

Guests are promised "a night to remember, filled with glitz and glamour". There will be a banquet, music and dancing, and guests are encouraged to "dress to impress". The money raised, including from an auction on the night, will go towards the charity's vital residential and outreach work in the community.